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Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Karageorgiou, E; Koutlas, IG; Alonso, AA; Leuthold, AC; Lewis, SM; Georgopoulos, AP
Published in: Exp Brain Res
August 2008

We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 10 healthy human subjects to study cortical responses to tactile stimuli applied to the fingertips of digits 2-5 of the right hand. Each stimulus lasted 50 ms and was produced by air-driven elastic membranes. Four-hundred stimuli were delivered on each finger in three temporal patterns (conditions). In the "Discrete" condition, stimuli were applied to each finger repetitively with an interstimulus interval (ISI) of 1-2 s. In the "Continuous" condition, stimuli were applied to the fingers sequentially as four-stimulus trains with zero ISI and 1-2 s intervening between trains. Finally, in the "Gap" condition, stimuli were applied as in the Continuous condition but with an ISI of 50 ms. A sensation of tactile motion across fingers (digit 2 --> digit 5) was reported by all subjects in the Continuous and Gap conditions. Cortical responses were extracted as single equivalent current dipoles over a period of 1 s following stimulus onset. In all three conditions, initial responses in left primary somatosensory cortex (SI) were observed ~20 to 50 ms after stimulus onset and were followed by additional left SI responses and bilateral responses in the secondary somatosensory cortex (SII). In addition, in the Continuous and Gap conditions, there was an activation of the precentral gyrus, the temporal aspects of which depended on the temporal relation of the administered stimuli, as follows. An ISI of 0 ms led to activation of the precentral gyrus shortly after the second stimulation, whereas an ISI of 50 ms led to activation of the precentral gyrus after the third stimulation. The current findings support results from previous studies on temporal activity patterns in SI and SII, verify the participation of the precentral gyrus during tactile motion perception and, in addition, reveal aspects of integration of sequential sensory stimulations over nonadjacent areas as well as temporal activity patterns in the postcentral and precentral gyri.

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Published In

Exp Brain Res

DOI

EISSN

1432-1106

Publication Date

August 2008

Volume

189

Issue

3

Start / End Page

311 / 321

Location

Germany

Related Subject Headings

  • Touch
  • Time Factors
  • Somatosensory Cortex
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Male
  • Magnetoencephalography
  • Humans
  • Fingers
  • Female
  • Brain Mapping
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Karageorgiou, E., Koutlas, I. G., Alonso, A. A., Leuthold, A. C., Lewis, S. M., & Georgopoulos, A. P. (2008). Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography. Exp Brain Res, 189(3), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1425-6
Karageorgiou, Elissaios, Ioannis G. Koutlas, Aurelio A. Alonso, Arthur C. Leuthold, Scott M. Lewis, and Apostolos P. Georgopoulos. “Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography.Exp Brain Res 189, no. 3 (August 2008): 311–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1425-6.
Karageorgiou E, Koutlas IG, Alonso AA, Leuthold AC, Lewis SM, Georgopoulos AP. Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography. Exp Brain Res. 2008 Aug;189(3):311–21.
Karageorgiou, Elissaios, et al. “Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography.Exp Brain Res, vol. 189, no. 3, Aug. 2008, pp. 311–21. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s00221-008-1425-6.
Karageorgiou E, Koutlas IG, Alonso AA, Leuthold AC, Lewis SM, Georgopoulos AP. Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography. Exp Brain Res. 2008 Aug;189(3):311–321.
Journal cover image

Published In

Exp Brain Res

DOI

EISSN

1432-1106

Publication Date

August 2008

Volume

189

Issue

3

Start / End Page

311 / 321

Location

Germany

Related Subject Headings

  • Touch
  • Time Factors
  • Somatosensory Cortex
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Male
  • Magnetoencephalography
  • Humans
  • Fingers
  • Female
  • Brain Mapping